Got a mate living out in Amsterdam for the next few months. I have a plan to go and see him and cycle at least part of the way – taking the ferry from Harwich to the Hook and cycling from there to Amsterdam.

I reckon it would take me at least 3 days to get down to Harwich from Hebden by bike. Google suggests this as a cycle route – dunno how nice it would be.

While I quite like the idea of getting to Amsterdam entirely under my own steam (apart from the ferry), I’m wondering if I would be better getting a train at least part of the way, then having more time in Holland to explore/hang out in Amsterdam.

Is there interesting stuff/places within reasonable cycling distance of Amsterdam?

Never done any cycle touring at all so I’m leaning towards trying to stay in hostels etc rather than taking camping gear by I do quite like that idea too.

Any thoughts/advice? Am I nuts? Cheers!

Get the overnight ferry from hull?

Ha, don’t know why I didn’t think of that! It is a fair bit more expensive but once you’ve factored in the extra accommodation etc in the UK I doubt it’s much different.

I could probably just about get to hull in a day I reckon.

It’s pretty relaxing too, roll up, get your cabin and kick back with a few beers.

Im going over next week, im driving but taking our bikes. stopping about 20 miles outside of Amsterdam. 🙂

Can’t help but will watch with interest as it’s something I’d like to do! Please post a thread afterwards with how you get on in Holland.

Personally I would prefer to maximise the time abroad where cyclists are welcome and minimise the time spent in the UK where they are not!

Will do. I’ll take plenty of pics as well.

Any more for any more? Cool places to cycle to near Amsterdam?

Marken fisherman’s village is about 20km north of Amsterdam, if you can bear the touristy schlick it’s a good day out

The ferries on the harwich / hoek route are lovely though and there is some lovely touring bike riding in East anglia.

I did this in 2012, on a touring bike. Trans-Pennine Trail from York to Hull, overnight ferry, then cycle routes up the coast to Leiden (not far from Amsterdam). I’d recommend it, if you don’t mind flat.

The route through Yorkshire is fine, but too bumpy in places for a skinny road bike. I have yet to find out how to pedal through Hull from the Humber Bridge to the docks; signs disappear, the TPT forgets where it’s going, and there always seem to be roadworks. Drinking heavily on a boat, having earned the right to do so, is always good.

Once in Holland, it’s easy but slow – there are so many bike paths I kept getting lost. A map would have helped, but I wasn’t in a hurry. The ferry stops miles outside Rotterdam, but you can avoid the detour through the city by taking a ferry North across the river at Maasluis (pronounced “mass-louse”) a few km inland from the ferry terminal. Taking the cycle path along the coast (once I found it) was very pretty.

I arrived on National Paint Yourself Orange And Sell Off All Your Broken Tat On The Streets Day (Queen’s Day?), which made it really hard to get through the towns, but good beery fun nevertheless.

Leiden is definitely a convenient stopover kinda half way between Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Not biased in any way having lived there for 4.5years 😉

If you do take ferry to Rotterdam, the welcome there is a long drag past quite a decent sized petrochemical installation, before you can get to a crossing across the river/docks to the north side.

If you arrive at Hoek van Holland, the North Sea Cycle route starts pretty much outside the port (well somewhere between there and the beach).

Excellent, thanks everyone – some good info here. Still leaning towards a Hull ferry I think.

I have a Kaffenback with big touring tyres so should be ok with the bumpy bits. Getting quite excited. 🙂

I take it you know there’s a ferry from Newcastle right into the heart [give or take] of Amsterdam?

http://www.dfdsseaways.co.uk/ferry-routes/holland/newcastle-to-amsterdam/

I got the Harwich ferry a few years ago. The North Sea Cycle route starts about 50m from the ferry exit and is lovely all the way to Amsterdam (even if there was still snow on the ground). I think I was pretty much on a cycle route for 60 miles, all the way to the doorstep of the apartment we’d rented for the weekend. Got a flight back from Schipol (you can buy a cardboard bike box in the basement and KLM didnt charge for bikes) to London City, unpacked my bike, ditched the box and cycled home 🙂

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/107765230154583117106/albums/5441167088114908833

Nope didn’t know about the Newcastle ferry – I’m not very bright. 🙂

Thanks damitamit – nice pics.

newcastle ferry is usually a bit pricier than hull, but it depends on day of week and season.
fish+chips on board is a bargain at £16.95 a portion.
it’s not the heart of amsterdam, but a bus ride away, or by bike, not a massive distance, part of which could be thru a big green park.

I tend to take that one mainly cos i’m doing frankfurt-scotland, and the extra price roughly balances the extra petrol money going via hull. the several hundred km less driving is merely a bonus.